Begonia plant named ‘BKPBECBR’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Begonia  plant named ‘BKPBECBR’, characterized by its broadly upright, somewhat outwardly spreading and mounded plant habit; moderately freely basal branching habit; medium-size leaves; uniform and freely flowering habit; and flowers that are red purple in color on both the upper and lower surfaces.

Botanical designation: Begonia hiemalis.

Cultivar denomination: ‘BKPBECBR’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Begonia plant, botanically known as Begonia hiemalis, commercially referred to as a Elatior Begonia and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘BKPBECBR’.

The new Begonia plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Amstelveen, The Netherlands. The objective of the breeding program was to develop new freely branching and freely flowering Begonia plants with attractive foliage and flower colors.

The new Begonia plant originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in September, 2006 of a proprietary selection of Begonia hiemalis identified as code number 06-229-01, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary selection of Begonia hiemalis identified as code number 6500604, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Begonia plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant from within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled greenhouse environment in Amstelveen, The Netherlands in October, 2007.

Asexual reproduction of the new Begonia plant by tip cuttings in a controlled greenhouse environment in Amstelveen, The Netherlands since February, 2008 has shown that the unique features of this new Begonia plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Begonia have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘BKPBECBR’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘BKPBECBR’ as a new and distinct Begonia plant:

-   -   1. Broadly upright, somewhat outwardly spreading and mounded         plant habit.     -   2. Moderately freely basal branching habit.     -   3. Medium-size leaves.     -   4. Uniform and freely flowering habit.     -   5. Flowers that are red purple in color on both the upper and         lower surfaces.

Plants of the new Begonia can be compared to plants of the female parent selection. Plants of the new Begonia differ from plants of the female parent selection primarily in flower color as plants of the female parent selection have red-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Begonia can be compared to plants of the male parent selection. Plants of the new Begonia differ primarily from plants of the male parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Begonia have darker green-colored leaves         than plants of the male parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Begonia have larger flowers than plants of         the male parent selection.     -   3. Plants of the new Begonia and the male parent selection         differ in flower color as plants of the male parent selection         have pale pink-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Begonia can be compared to plants of the Begonia ‘Dragone’, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Amstelveen, The Netherlands, plants of the new Begonia differed from plants of ‘Dragone’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Begonia were more upright than plants of         ‘Dragone’.     -   2. Plants of the new Begonia had lighter-colored leaves than         plants of ‘Dragone’.     -   3. Plants of the new Begonia and ‘Dragone’ differed in flower         color as plants of ‘Dragone’ had bright pink-colored flowers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Begonia plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Begonia plant.

The photograph on the first sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘BKPBECBR’ grown in a container.

The photograph on the second sheet is a close up view of the upper and lower surfaces of typical flower buds, flowers and leaves of ‘BKPBECBR’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

Plants used for the aforementioned photographs and following observations and measurements were grown in 12-cm containers during the winter in a glass-covered greenhouse in Maasdijk, The Netherlands. During the production of the plants, day and night temperatures ranged from 18° C. to 19° C. and light levels averaged 7,000 lux. Plants were twelve weeks old when the photographs and the description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2007 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Begonia hiemalis ‘BKPBECBR’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of Begonia             hiemalis identified as code number 06-229-01, not patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary selection of Begonia             hiemalis identified as code number 6500604, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By tip cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer and winter.—About 20 days at             temperatures of about 25° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer and             winter.—About 35 to 36 days at temperatures of about 21° C.             to 23° C.         -   Root description.—Medium in thickness, fibrous; white in             color; plants of the new Begonia have not been observed to             form tubers.         -   Rooting habit.—Moderate branching; medium density. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant form and growth habit.—Broadly upright, somewhat             outwardly spreading and mounded plant habit; plant shape             roughly globular; moderately freely basal branching with             about four basal branches per plant; moderately vigorous             growth habit.         -   Plant height.—About 17.3 cm.         -   Plant width.—About 26.1 cm.         -   Branch description.—Length: About 12.4 cm. Diameter: About             9 mm. Internode length: About 1.9 cm. Texture: Sparsely             pubescent. Aspect: Upright to about 30° from vertical.             Color, developing: Close to N167A. Color, fully developed:             Between 152B to 152C and 199A.         -   Leaf description.—Arrangement: Alternate, simple. Length:             About 11.8 cm. Width: About 8.6 cm. Shape: Broadly ovate.             Apex: Acute. Base: Oblique. Margin: Bi-serrate. Texture,             upper surface: Smooth, glabrous; velvety. Texture, lower             surface: Sparsely pubescent. Venation pattern: Palmate;             reticulate. Color: Developing leaves, upper surface: Darker             than between 148A and 152A. Developing leaves, lower             surface: Close to 183C. Fully expanded leaves, upper             surface: Darker than between 147A and N189A; venation, close             to 143A. Fully expanded leaves, lower surface: Close to 191A             moderately tinged with close to 182C; venation, close to             146B. Petioles: Length: About 5.1 cm. Diameter: About 5 mm.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Sparsely to moderately             pubescent. Color, upper surface: Close to 152A slightly             tinged with close to 172D. Color, lower surface: Close to             152A. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flowering habit.—Female rotate and male cruciform flowers             arranged in axillary compound cymes; male flower sterile;             freely flowering habit with about six flowers per cyme and             about 120 flowers developing per plant; flowers face upright             to outwardly.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Natural flowering season.—Plants begin flowering about ten             weeks after planting; long flowering period, plants flower             freely and continuously from spring until autumn in The             Netherlands.         -   Flower longevity.—Individual flowers last about ten days on             the plant; flowers not persistent.         -   Inflorescence height.—About 15.7 cm.         -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 10.5 cm.         -   Female flowers.—Diameter: About 7.7 cm. Height: About             3.5 cm. Flower buds: Length: About 2.2 cm. Diameter: About             1.7 cm. Shape: Ovate. Color: Close to 46A; towards the base,             close to 53A. Tepals: Quantity per flower and arrangement:             About five in a single whorl. Length: About 3.5 cm. Width:             About 3.8 cm. Shape: Reniform to close to orbicular. Apex:             Rounded. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper surface: Smooth,             glabrous; slightly velvety. Texture, lower surface: Smooth,             glabrous. Color: When opening, upper surface: Close to 53C             to between N57A and 58B. When opening, lower surface: Close             to 47B to 47C; margins, close to 50A; basal veins, close to             146D. Fully opened, upper surface: Close to 58B; color does             not change with development. Fully opened, lower surface:             Close to 47B to 47D; basal veins, close to 146D; color             becoming closer to 53D with development.         -   Male flowers.—Diameter: About 3.9 cm. Height: About 2.7 cm.             Flower buds: Length: About 1.8 cm. Diameter (flattened):             About 2.4 cm. Shape: Broadly ovate to reniform when             flattened. Color: Close to 46A; towards the base, close to             53A. Tepals: Quantity per flower and arrangement: About four             in a single whorl. Length: About 2.9 cm. Width: About 3 cm.             Shape: Close to orbicular. Apex: Rounded to praemorse.             Margin: Entire. Texture, upper surface: Smooth, glabrous;             slightly velvety. Texture, lower surface: Smooth, glabrous.             Color: When opening, upper surface: Between 53C and N57A.             When opening, lower surface: Between 52A and 53C. Fully             opened, upper surface: Between 53C and N57A; color does not             change with development. Fully opened, lower surface:             Between 53C and N57A; towards the base, close to 53D; color             does not change with development.         -   Tepaloids.—Tepaloid development has not been observed on             female or male flowers of the new Begonia plant.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 5.9 cm. Diameter: About 4 mm.             Angle: About 30° from branch axis. Texture: Smooth,             glabrous. Color: Close to N199C.         -   Pedicels.—Length: About 3.4 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm. Angle:             About 40° from the peduncle axis. Texture: Smooth, glabrous.             Color: Between 164B and 199C.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Stamen development has not             been observed on male flowers of plants of the new Begonia.             Pistils: Present only on female flowers. Quantity per             flower: About six. Length: About 9 mm. Style length: About             4 mm. Style color: Close to 9C. Stigma color: Close to 23A.             Ovary color: Close to 1A.         -   Seeds and fruits.—Seed and fruit development production has             not been observed on plants of the new Begonia. -   Disease & pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens and pests common     to Begonia has not been observed on plants of the new Begonia. -   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Begonia have been observed     to tolerate temperatures from about 14° C. to about 35° C. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Begonia plant named ‘BKPBECBR’ as illustrated and described. 